Hi Dennis,
You are Right
This was long back, Memories faded.
Now I recalled the behaviour of these suggested settings..
In fact what happens is exactly the reverse.
i.e., With these suggested settings, when the Notification is put 'In process' by you, the user-status is set automatically to 'APPR'.
I also recall that the other way i.e., auto sysyem status NOPR by setting the user status APPR is not possible.
Perhaps this can be achieved through some USer-Exit / BADI.
Jogeswara Rao K